


Choice

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-10-31
Updated: 2005-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-19 01:42:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12400515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: The sorting of Sirius Black; A companion piece to my 'Examine'; One-shot





	Choice

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

**_Choice_ **

**__**

**By 407**

**__**

 

**A/N:** A companion piece to my fic ‘Examine’, which is the sorting of Narcissa. This one I found more complicated to write, but enjoyed writing just as much. Enjoy…

  
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I stood in the line, next to my cousin. I had never been a very patient person and so, as I listened to the names being called out, I was only concentrating on getting seated and eating something. My family had always told me that the food at Hogwarts was amazing.

 

“Black, Narcissa.”� I looked at my cousin, as she strode up to the stool confidently. She didn’t look nervous, but then again, she rarely showed emotion toward people she was unfamiliar with, simply disinterest and boredom.

 

She sat down and there was silence as the hat apparently debated where she was going to be placed. This surprised me — Blacks were meant to go to Slytherin automatically. 

 

Then again, I considered, Narcissa wasn’t exactly the traditional Black. Her platinum blonde hair contradicted the dark creatures that were the Black family. I was much more recognisable as part of my family, with thick Black hair. However, Narcissa wasn’t completely out of the loop — she had the grey eyes and aristocratic features. The long, blonde hair was so shockingly different, though, that any casual observer would not notice these similarities. 

 

Finally, the hat opened its brim.

 

“SLYTHERIN”�

 

Narcissa smiled slightly in that arrogant, pleased way that she had, as she walked towards the table nearest the double doors leading to the Entrance hall. She looked totally comfortable as she waltzed across the hall, in harmony with the applause that littered the room.

 

 “Black, Sirius.”� McGonagall read off.

 

Oh dear.

 

I got up and practically strutted over towards the stool, showing far less elegance, yet far more confidence than my younger cousin. I didn’t know whether it was the nerves I was feeling that was making me walk in such a way, but it certainly wasn’t how I usually moved. Butterflies zoomed madly around in my stomach and uncertainties rushed around in my head as I immediately started to think of worst case scenarios. 

 

What if I didn’t get into Slytherin?

 

That would be pure Hell.

 

I sat on the seat and the large hat fell past my eyes, obscuring my vision.

 

_‘So what do we have here?’_

 

‘Hi?’ I thought, uncertain what exactly I was supposed to do next.

 

_‘Oh, you don’t have to do anything, just let me search your mind’_

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I sat up a little straighter. The knowledge that I was having his deepest thoughts examined was not a comfortable one.

 

_‘I can see severe loyalty in you, boy._ ’  The hat said quietly, its deep voice projecting throughout my mind.

 

“Well, I don’t want to be in Hufflepuff.”� I said. Hufflepuffs were supposed to all be idiots and besides, Blacks were supposed to be Slytherins.

 

_‘No, no, you would not do well in Hufflepuff.’_

__

The hat seemed to be taking a long time and my patience was starting to really run low. I could not understand why the thing did not just sort me, get it over with.

 

_‘Contrary to perhaps popular belief, it is not easy to sift through the thoughts of any one person, for people tend to think many things at the same time. Somewhat surprisingly, I can see that there is an incredible amount of intelligence in here and just as much power, but no real passion for learning or value for books. That is not as surprising’_

__

“So I’m not a Ravenclaw…”� I was slightly insulted but ignored the feeling. This was taking too long — I was sure that no one else had had to sit through this.

 

_‘Patience is a virtue, boy. One that you most definitely don’t have, I can see. You must learn.’_

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This was insane. A battered, old hat was giving me advice.

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_‘There is more to me than meets the eye. You certainly have some cunning and ambition, like the rest of your family, but…Slytherin will not allow you to flourish, nor to reach your full potential.’_

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I blinked, although I could not see anything. So I wasn’t a Slytherin. 

 

That wasn’t exactly the best news I’d ever received.

 

Especially since I now knew where I was going to be placed. 

 

But that house hated Slytherins — probably hated Blacks as well — as a law.

 

_‘You value courage and heroics above everything. Yes, you belong in_ GRYFFINDOR’

 

The hat shouted the last word out loud and I winced as I heard the name.

 

Not good. This was not good at all. 

 

Damn.

 

There was a scattered applause as McGonagall took my hat off, staring at me with wide eyes. I knew it and she knew it. I did not belong with them. I stayed on my seat.

 

“Go on Black. Off to your table.”�

 

I shook my head violently.

 

Mum and Dad were going to kill me.

 

“Yes, Mr. Black, hurry up.”� McGonagall placed two hands on my back and pushed me lightly, but I would not allow myself to be moved.

 

“Mr. Black.”� McGonagall said, her voice louder, his tone full of warning.

 

I shook my head again.

 

“There’s a-”�

 

“Go, or I will give you detention.”�

 

“But-”�

 

“Report to me tomorrow evening Black.”� With one final shove, I got off the chair and walked, resignedly, to the…well, the table.

 

People were staring at me. They knew just as well as I did that I belonged over the other side of the room.

 

“Bones, Edgar”�

 

“HUFFLEPUFF”�

 

Refusing to look at anyone I knew (all Slytherins so far), I walked quickly over to the Gryffindor table. The scattered applause was not extremely loud — most people knew of the Blacks. They all knew that I didn’t really belong in Gryffindor. 

 

Except apparently, I did. 

 

Or at least, the Sorting Hat thought so. And the Sorting Hat had a reputation for always being right. I hated that damn thing.

 

 “Carrows, Alecto”�

 

I knew Alecto and she was sure to be a Slytherin, just as her whole family had been. She wouldn’t be as difficult as I had been and wind up in a totally different house. She certainly wouldn’t get herself sorted into Gryffindor.

 

Sure enough, the hat shouted ‘SLYTHERIN’ and she walked over the table that was applauding the loudest, a slight spring in her step.

 

Well, it was alright for _her_.

 

“Catchlove, Greta”�

 

“HUFFLEPUFF”�

 

My heart was knocking loudly against my small ribcage. 

 

No, no, no, no, no. This was some horrible dream — a nightmare even. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. Not at all. 

 

“Deedsworth, Douglas”�

 

“RAVENCLAW”�

 

Oh damn. 

 

There were, in total, 4 Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Slytherin was the only truly acceptable house, holding those with the traits that made the Blacks the Blacks: cunning and ambition. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were not acceptable, but not completely frowned upon, with the Ravenclaws intelligence and the Hufflepuffs loyalty. Gryffindor, however, was the one house that you were not, under any circumstances, allowed in. Gryffindors were brave and to be brave was to be weak. It was well known that the Gryffindors and Slytherins were all natural enemies. So, it would be just my luck to be placed in the one house that was frowned upon above all the rest.I was doomed.

  
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